A rare east-west linkage zone between the Yellowstone and Salmon-Selway ecoregions, this region, with low elevation wetlands and high alpine terrain, is tremendously important to the continued viability of many species in the region. Local citizens, including watershed and rancher groups, are eager to protect the land and wildlife, along with their local culture. Our strategy in the High Divide is to support local citizens as they plan for the future in the face of increasing pressures from many forms of development.

Our specific goals for the High Divide

• Increased support for conservation among stakeholders in the region leading to improved grazing practices and a reduction in conflicts between human activities on the landscape and the presence of wildlife outside of national park boundaries

• Expansion of landscape protections in central Idaho and western Montana, including the Great Burn Roadless Area, the Boulder-White Clouds and Pioneer Mountains and roadless areas within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Lolo National Forests

• Adoption of county land use ordinances addressing linkages for wildlife, especially across valley floors and within riparian corridors in the region